So the world's eyes will be focused on nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the U.S. next week.... but eyes will also be on how Vietnam will successfully host such a crucial summit.<br />And many are also wondering.... why did the two sides choose Vietnam's Hanoi as their meeting place?<br />Oh Jung-hee explains. <br />Vietnam is geographically close enough to North Korea that the North Korean leader can fly there.<br />And it has diplomatic ties with both Pyeongyang and Washington.<br />These are the reasons why the Southeast Asian country was chosen as the venue for the second Kim-Trump summit -- but there is another reason why Hanoi was an attractive choice.<br /><br />The U.S.-Vietnam history plays a part here.<br />Vietnam and the U.S. fought in a war from 1965 until 1975.<br />But their hostile relations came to an end as they established diplomatic relations in 1995, 10 years after Vietnam started its Doi Moi economic reforms.<br />In 2000, Vietnam and the U.S. signed a bilateral trade agreement, which expanded Hanoi's overseas trade.<br />Hanoi succeeded in developing a free market economy, while keeping a single-party communist system. <br /><br />Hanoi has been willing to share its development experience with North Korea -- and Pyeongyang sent its foreign minister last year to study the Vietnamese model.<br />Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that... Pyeongyang could replicate Hanoi's path to normal relations with the U.S. and to prosperity.<br /><br />Kim and Trump's choice of Vietnam shows that they're willing to end their hostilities and start a new relationship.<br />But more importantly, Trump is making another promise that once Pyeongyang follows through on its commitment to denuclearize, what's to come next is the 'economic bright future' -- that Kim Jong-un desires.<br />Kim's aim of developing the North's economy could be even more evident during his state visit to Vietnam, where he'll be touring key industrial facilities near the capital, while strengthening relations with the Vietnamese government.<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News. <br />
